This
statistical report presents information about the case filings and dispositions
of the Wisconsin Supreme Court during the month of August 2009 and to date for
the term that began on September 1, 2008.

Opinions Issued
by the Court

The Supreme
Court issued no opinions in August.

August 2009Term to Date

Total
number of cases resolved by opinion .............................. 087

A total
of 59 petitions for review were filed during the month.A petition for review asks the Supreme Court
to review the decision of the Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court’s jurisdiction is
discretionary, meaning that review is granted in selected cases only.In August, the Supreme Court disposed of 50
petitions for review, of which 3 petitions were granted.The Supreme Court currently has 233 petitions
for review pending.

In August,
the Supreme Court received 2 petitions for bypass and disposed of no petitions
for bypass.In a petition for bypass, a
party requests that the Supreme Court take jurisdiction of an appeal or other proceeding
pending in the Court of Appeals.A
matter appropriate for bypass is usually one which meets one or more of the
criteria for review by the Supreme Court and one the Supreme Court concludes it
will ultimately choose to consider regardless of how the Court of Appeals might
decide the issues. A petition for bypass
may also be granted where there is a clear need to hasten the ultimate
appellate decision.The Supreme Court currently
has 4 petitions for bypass pending.

During August
2009, the Supreme Court received no requests for certification and disposed of one
request for certification, which was granted.In a request for certification, the Court of Appeals asks the Supreme
Court to exercise its appellate jurisdiction before the Court of Appeals hears the
matter. A request for certification is
decided on the basis of the same criteria as a petition to bypass.The Supreme Court currently has 1 request for
certification pending.

During
the month, a total of 2 matters within the regulatory jurisdiction of the Court
(bar admission, lawyer discipline, and judicial discipline) were filed.The Supreme Court also received 10 petitions
for supervisory writ, which ask the Supreme Court to order the Court of Appeals
or a circuit court to take a certain action in a case.No original actions were filed.An original action is a petition asking the Supreme
Court to take jurisdiction over a particular matter.When an opinion is issued in these cases, the
disposition is included in “Opinions Issued by the Court” above; otherwise, the
case is disposed of by order and is included in the totals below.The Supreme Court currently has 32 regulatory
matters and 23 petitions for supervisory writ pending.